Food warmer



May 19, 1925,`

A. s. OLDHAM FOOD WARMER Filed Jan. 17. 1924 s sheets-smeet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. S. OLDHAM FOOD WARMER Filed Jan.

May 19,` 1925.

saine.

Patented May 19, 1925.

1,538,738 NiT fQEFILCE.

ARTHUR s. OLDHAM, or M1AM1,-0KLAH0MA.

FOOD WARMER.

Application led January 17, k19241. Vl,Serial Nvo=568 65909;

To aZZ whom t may conce/m: Be ltknovvn that LARTHURSQLDnAM, a

citizen fof. the` Unitedw'states, residing at Maing in Ythe 'county of Ottawa. and State .of Oklahoma, have ,invented certaln newl and useful 4Improverneute'in `Food `VVarin'ers;

andl ddhereby declare thefollovving to be affullyclear, andV exact description of the in vention, suchvoas will enable others skilled infhe art. to y Whichyit appertains to` make and'use `the" saine.

This invention ,relates tol a .Warming apparatus primarily designedhfor nse in connectiouwith 1:food asin lunch rooms, Yrestaurants, hotel kitchensand the likefor the same*general pnrposefor Awhich theilsteam tablefisnow employed.

Itis aimedhovveverto provide a'rnovelyap- ),paratus. Whichvinay be manu,facturedfand 2o sold atconsiderablylless costreqnires less heat foroperation than thesteam table, and

is simpler toy operatie;` aside from other. ad-

vantages to be specieallys.enumerated A further object is .toprovide a construction Whereina plurality ofheating chambers or ,compartmjentsy are afforded 'x be `jointly* used or lndlyidually, `or -in any gr yuplused.according.1501thecrnaterlal to be warmed-,cr heated; Y

' Anothieripbject is `to provide aponstruction in vvhich thecompartmentsare heated vby gasLoil or similar burners ,sof arranged thatthe flame therefrom Mvvill not kvstrilae the vessels @fettarme for the1foo,d, to the ,ena

thatthe ylatter lwill 4not be heated unevenly `and therevvill be nodangerof burning the i Various additional QbjeCtS andi-,advaniri`` connection With accompanying drawings illustrating yan operative embodiment. .ln Sad'd1aWngs:-'-

Figurel side elevation of the apparatus t Figure 2 v is a plan view thereof, butvvith thefoodcontainers removed; v Eliigure Sis a substantially central longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 8f3 of'Figure 2, but showing several of the food containers in place; i Y l Figure /l is .ya horizontal sectional view italien on the line of Figure 1;

'fFiglure 5 isa vertical sectional view takenl voi'the: linex of Figure 2; l Flaute is a' fresmeeteryieleratien of for boltsl.

one ,0f 1 the Partitions i particularly 1 Showing Jthe damper or valve therepf;

klger@ Tis e@ross:,setionalfvewronfthe line ,7 p Figure 6, and

.Eigure Sis a crees,` sectional View onfthe line8-z-8 ofFigure.

"Lilrengeference characters designate like .or similarpartsin the different views.

y Referringspecifically to the drawings, the device (comprises) a.` body 'or casing of suitable shape in the presentinstancegen'erally designated 1Q and preferably being rectangular. This body 'may consist ofsidesheets or plates 11 spanned by end platesor sheets .12, to Which vthey arefastened `as by r-ii'fets f 14 ldesign ates a bottom-:plate -or Wallnsupporting thesaidplatesorl Walls 11 and 12` and being elevated above the Hoor Bottoni Mivall 14; projects outwardly tbe-youd said side and end 'Walls 11 and12; andhas -anglefneinforcing members 1.9.,secured theretd as by'bolts 2O and secured to the Wallsv ,12

@Shy belts-'21; i l

The top plate `or 'Walliof the -casingqis designated-,'22 and-` serv'es as the Lvtz'ible,being bolted `orfotherwise it fastened to the Walls lland 12 at23. lVithin the casing flOrthe sameis subdividedvinto ,compartments or chambers 24 by partitionplates or .walls .25 which arebollted` or otherwise fastened asqat "26 :toftheside Wallsor plates l1. Said partitions 2.51have 'flanges 27slthrough which said holts 26 pass and atthe top, saidlfang'es' arecontinued and have bolts 28 passing `therethrough securing them to the topor' VdrLable Wall22. `Wall 22 above each comparfv` lment 2,4 is provided With an opening 29 of any appropriate .shape 1 adapted to be occu# ypied `byfood `containers such as those suggesteduat 30 and 31. The latter; inaylhaveia removable cover 232. It `Will` be understood `that any number lof the compartments-or 4chambers 24 may beprovided. 'For' V-meats, containers such as 31, are :preferably employed, being usually square in 'horizontal cross section. In the case of materials or foods other tlianmeats, round containers such as `3 0 are preferably employed. `Since the meat containers are frequently employed inthe proportion of one to threevof the containersfl and fourlof the containers 30 although this proportion may obviously be varied. The plate 22 about the openings 29 is preferably reenforced by endless rims 33, some being round and some being square according to the shape of openings 29 and which rims are bolted or otherwise secured as at 34 to table plate 22.

Located in each compartment 25 is a burner 35, arranged considerably below the containers so that the flame therefrom cannot strike the containers or serve to unevenly heat the same. These burners are supported by fuel supplied pipes 36 in npstanding relation and secured to the bottom wall 14. Below bottom wall 14, a fuel feeder pipe 37 closed at one end 38, is in communication with a source of fuel and has connection by couplings -as at 39 to the pipes 36. Pipes 36 have cutoff valves 40 therein, preferably arranged below the wall 14. These valves 40 are independently operable. To afford the necessary draft for the burners 35, and air to the compartments 24, a series of openings 41 surround each burner 35 within each compartment 24 and preferably being provided through wall 14. To facilitate manipulation of the valves 40, they preferably have operating elements 41 extending therefrom to and beyond one side of the device and preferably being journaled in guide brackets 42 fastened in place by adjacent bolts 20.

Each partition 25, preferably adjacent its top, is provided with a port or opening 43, whereby heated air may pass or travel from one compartment 24 to the others to the end that the device may be evenly heated. These openings or ports 43 however may be closed by slide valves or damper plates 44 positioned and slidably mounted by cleats 45 riveted or bolted at 46 to the partitions 25. The valve 44 may be manipulated in any desired way and to this end preferably have outwardly curled flanges 47. `When the device is not too hot, the hand may be inserted through the openings 29 to manually engage lianges 47 in order to slide the valve to open or closed position and when the device is too hot for insertion of the hand, a suitable tool may be inserted through such opening 29 to engage the fiange 47 and operate the valve 44 inthe same manner.

One end wall llpreferably adjacent the top,v is provided with an Aoutlet opening from which an elbow Yori other discharge flue 48A may extend. The opening and closing of such flue 48, is controlled by a suitable damper 49, for instance carried and operable by a spindle 50 journaled in the wall of the flue.

In use, the containers 30 and 31 are disposed in the openings 29 and gas or other fuel is supplied through the feeder 37 and thence through the pipes 36 with valves 40 open, to burners 35, where the same is ignited. Under these conditions, the valves or dampers 44 are preferably in open position and hence the heated air from one compartment may travel and miX with the heated air of the other compartment to the end that the entire apparatus may be evenly heated. The air, as is obvious, enters through the openings or ports 41. Due to the partition 25 and such Valves or dampers 44, when a single container 30 or 31 is to be heated or any number of them less than the maximum capacity are to be heated, the appropriate valves 40 may be closed and the appropriate valves 44 are closed to the end that communication between undesired compartments 24 is cut off. In this way, the compartments 24 are individual or may be placed merely incommunication with `one or more of the other compartments less than the whole number. Due to the present construction, great conservation of heat is realized, particularly in view of the fact that 'the compartments may be operated individually and also since the use of water is avoided as air isheated instead of water and is of less density.

In practice, the parts of the casing 10 are preferably made of sheet metal.

Various changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A warmer for foods or the like hav-V inf; a casing, said casing being provided with vertical partitions affording individual warming compartments, containers, means to support the containers in positions depending into the compartments, individually controlled heating means disposed in each compartment, and'means associated with said partitions normally7 preventing communication between themoperable to kestablish communication between each compartment and the remaining compartments.

2. A warmer for food or the like having a casing, saidrcasing being provided with vertical. `partitions affording individual warming compartments, containers, means to support the containers in positions depending into the compartments, individuall v controlled heating means disposed in each compartment, and meansassociated Vwith said partitions normally preventing communication between them operable to establish communication between each compartment and the remaining compartments, said heating means4 entering through the bottom wall of the casing, means elevating said bottom wall with respect to the floor, and saidv bottom walll having openings therethroughV for entrance of air.

3. A warmer having a casing provided with a raised bottom wall, endwalls and side walls rising therefrom, partition Walls within the casing' providing individual juxta-posed compartments, a top Wall on said side Walls, end Walls and partition Walls, containers, said top Wall having lcontainerreceiving openings to support the containers in positions depending into the oompartments, reenforong elements surrounding said openings, fastening means securing the side Walls, end Walls and partition Walls together and the reen'foroing elements thereto, a feeder pipe disposed below the bottom Wall, burners Within the compartments7 pipes leading from the feeder to the burners and through the bottom Wall, outott valves for said pipes below the bottom Wall, means operable to establish communioation between the compartments, and a discharge flue leading from one of the end Walls.

In testimony whereof l alX ln'y` Signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR S. OLDHAM.

fitnesses GUssIE MGGAMMON, C. V. AYRES. 

